


The Boggart in the Bag

by Mars_McKie



Series: Thunderbirds Are Go - Ilvermorny AU [3]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Thunderbirds
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ilvermorny, Boggarts, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Mind Control, Other characters as classmates and teachers, Torture, Unforgivable Curses (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 11:41:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12058266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mars_McKie/pseuds/Mars_McKie
Summary: Gordon releases a Boggart on the school as a prank, but things get serious when the Tracys are forced to face their worst fears.





	The Boggart in the Bag

**Author's Note:**

> Rated T for the use of the Unforgivable curses.
> 
> Originally this was Chapter 2 of Autumn at Ilvermorny, but I decided I'd rather release some one-shots rather than leave works without chapters if I decide to jump over to another piece of work. It all ties together in the series anyway.
> 
> Enjoy!

The next Monday, Gordon fumed to himself. As part of the third year curriculum, they had been learning how to deal with Boggarts in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Janus had smirked when the Boggart faced Gordon and turned into a Killer Clown, but was furious when Gordon had given the clown Janus’s face. The whole class laughed, but Janus took twenty points from him for that.

Gordon huffed over the lost points outside the Defence classroom. Down the hall, Janus stood talking to Professor Baines, his briefcase in one hand and the bag containing the Boggart in the other. As he put down the bag to fish something out of his briefcase, Gordon saw an opportunity.

He slipped behind a statue and pointed his wand at the bag. Using a niffy spell Virgil had taught him, he muttered, “ _Accio bag_!” The bag scooted along the floor and into Gordon’s hand. In the time it took for Janus to notice his bag was missing, Gordon was up a secret passageway and two floors away.

The Boggart squirmed in the bag, trying to get free. He could have some fun with this!

Two minutes later, he was back in the common room. A number of students were relaxing, waiting for the bell to ring that would call them back from lunch. Alan sat with Chip, Aiden and John, who was helping the three of them with their Transfiguration homework, and Gordon sank low into a chair near them.

He fumbled for a moment with the belts holding the bag closed. Eventually they came loose and the struggle inside the bag became more prominent. John looked up lazily from the work as Gordon pointed the bag towards Alan and opened the lid.

Several people screamed as a creature the Tracys had once seen on a holiday in Florida -an alligator- burst out of the bag. Its sweeping tail knocked Gordon aside and winded him. Alan screamed loudly and jumped behind John. The alligator rounded on Aiden who was nearest, considered him for a moment, before turning into a storm cloud.

Understanding dawned on John’s face, but before he could do anything about it, the portrait hole opened as Scott and Virgil walked in, discussing Quodpot try-outs. The Boggart saw its chance and the storm cloud swept past them, out into the corridor.

“What was that?” said Virgil, his hair on end from the static shock he’d got.

“Boggart,” said John, taking his wand out.

“How did a Boggart get up here?” asked Scott, bewildered.

“Take a wild guess,” John muttered nodding to where Gordon was staggering to his feet. “We’ve got to catch it before it causes any more trouble.”

Following the screams from down the corridor, they all took their wands out and set off.

*

Kayo grimaced at her Charms homework that had just been returned to her. Her first essay on Summoning Charms had not been great, but she’d been distracted ever since she had heard the news of The Hood’s escape.

Speaking of which...

“Hello, Kayo,” said a silky voice behind her.

She spun around in shock. How on earth he had broken into Ilvermorny and found her so fast she could only guess, but there he was- The Hood. The corridor they were in was deserted- no chance of any back up. He grinned as Kayo made for her wand.

“There’s no need to bother with wands,” he jeered. “I’m only here to talk.”

“What could you possibly have to say that would make me consider joining you?” Kayo sneered back.

“Those Tracys aren’t your real family,” he replied. “You are my niece. Join me, and together we will bring down MACUSA and nobody will be able to stop us.”

“I will never join you,” Kayo retorted, acting braver than she was feeling.

“Fine!” spat her Uncle. “Perhaps if I were to tell your so-called brothers all about your secret family ties you might reconsider...”

“No,” she whispered, her heart plummeting. Were the boys already in trouble? Was there time to run and find help? At that moment she heard running footsteps behind her and turning she saw John joining them.

“What’s he doing here?” He gasped on seeing The Hood stood there, but -trying to scare both of them at once- he then turned into the ghost of The Hood. They both jumped in alarm, and seizing the opportunity again, the ghost glided sideways though a wall before John could raise his wand.

“Damn!” he cried, trying to work out the quickest way around.

“John, what’s going on?” Kayo nearly cried.

“Gordon released a Boggart on the school!”

“A Boggart?” Relief flooded through Kayo’s veins.

“Come on, we’ve got to catch it!” They set off at a run before John turned back to Kayo. “Why are you scared of The Hood?”

“Why are you scared of ghosts?” she retorted.

“Shut up!” said John, quickly adding, “Please don’t tell Scott.”

*

When the ghost of The Hood had passed through the wall, it came face to face with Scott, who immediately recognised it for what it was.

“Ah ha!” he cried, but before he could cast the spell, the Boggart had transformed again. Alan lay on the floor before him, blood seeping out of his wounds and his skin white and cold in death.

“No,” Scott whispered. “You’re not real! _Riddikulous_!”

The Boggart transformed into Virgil, flat on his back, his dead eyes staring into Scott’s. Unseen by them, Virgil entered the room behind Scott and paused at the scene before him.

“Stop that!” Scott yelled, raising his wand desperately. “ _Riddikulous_! _Riddikulous_!”

Dead John. Dead Gordon. Virgil stepped forward.

“Oi!” he shouted. The Boggart once again tried to scare both of them at once by turning into a dead puppet Gordon, its cut strings laying on the floor around it.

“ _Riddikulous_!” said Virgil, pointing his wand at it. The Boggart-Gordon was hoisted off the floor by its strings, forced into a frilly pink dress and made to dance a jig.

Attracted by the yells, John, Kayo and Gordon ran into the classroom. Gordon gave an indignant yell as John and Kayo fell about laughing, which did the trick and finished the Boggart off, exploding into wisps of smoke. Virgil was in no mood for laughing though.

“Scott?” He placed a tentative hand on his brother’s arm. Scott was still staring at the spot where the Boggart-Gordon had laid, but at the touch he seemed to come around. He stared at the four of them stood around him, his gaze freezing on Gordon. “Scott, are you OK?”

Gordon shrank back, convinced Scott was about to tell him off and put him in detention. Scott moved towards him and Gordon took a step back, but to all of their surprise Scott pulled Gordon into a bone-breaking hug.

“Never... do that... again,” Scott choked. Gordon’s face was pressed into his brother’s chest and he felt water drip into his hair. Was Scott crying?

Virgil, John and Kayo span around at the sound of footsteps and Headmistress Casey entered the room.

“What is going on here?” Professor Casey asked in an imperious voice. “There have been strange rumours flying around the castle about a number of beasts on the loose.”

“A Boggart escaped, Professor,” said John, stepping forward. “We cornered it and it’s gone now.”

“Good. Any idea how it got loose?”

“No Professor.” It was lucky that Gordon’s face was hidden as his eyes widened sharply at his brother’s lie. For their part, Kayo and Virgil kept their faces blank.

“I see,” said Professor Casey. “In any case, take ten points for Thunderbird and five points for Wampus. There will be an investigation as to how a Boggart got into the castle. If I find this was a student’s work, they will be getting a month’s worth of detentions.”

Professor Casey raised an eyebrow at Scott and Gordon, who were still tightly entwined, but made no comment on it.

“Thank you boys, and Kayo.” She swept from the room.

They all breathed out a sigh of relief. “Phew!” Virgil exclaimed, before moving across to Scott and Gordon. “Come on Scott, you can let go now.”

Virgil prised Gordon from Scott’s grasp and he hastily wiped his eyes on his robes. Gordon had a slight indent where the Head Boy badge had been pressed into his cheek.

The bell calling them off from lunch rang loudly and they all jumped.

“You should all go,” muttered Scott, making for the door. “I’ll see you later.”

*

Scott wasn’t at dinner when Virgil sat down to eat. Nor was he in the Library or common room. Virgil climbed the spiral staircase up to the boys dormitory and knocked on the door right at the top, marked as the dorm for the seventh years. He opened the door and put his head inside. Scott was reading on his bed and he looked up as Virgil entered.

“Hey,” Virgil said hesitantly, sitting down on the edge of Scott’s bed. “Do... do you want to talk about earlier?”

Scott hesitated, then said, “I moved the bag that Gordon must have had the Boggart in to the dungeons. That should confuse the teachers for a bit.”

“I mean your Boggart,” Virgil stressed. Scott shifted uncomfortably. “I thought it used to be a Rougarou?”

“It did,” said Scott, keeping his eyes on his book.

“So what changed?”

Scott sighed as he set his book aside. He paused as he curled in on himself and tried to find the words before speaking. “In the summer, when The Hood infiltrated Tracy Industries I thought...” His voice broke and he tried again. “When he tried to control you, and then attacked Gordon...”

Virgil nodded, understanding. The events that had occurred over the summer hadn’t been the fun and games they made it out to be, and were still so clear to him-

 

The six of them had all been at their father’s offices one day. Fed up with them spending all day on their broomsticks and having near misses with No-Maj helicopters, Jeff had forced them all to sit down and focus on their homework. In the evening when most of the employees were leaving, Virgil had gone in search of food. On coming back, he’d seen a security guard trying to break into his father’s personal office.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Virgil yelled.

The man spun around and pointed his wand at Virgil. “ _Imperio_!”

A wonderful, sensational feeling took over his body. He felt like he was floating on air, relaxed and happy and without a care in the world, and then he heard the man’s voice whisper attractively: _Attack him..._

Virgil turned obediently, but another voice made it through the fog in his mind: “Virgil!”

_Attack him..._

“Virgil!”

He recognised the second voice as his brother Scott, and a thought awoke in the back of his mind... _I don’t really want to attack my brother..._

_Attack him!_

“NO!”

Virgil had shouted this out loud and the spell holding him shattered. He wasn’t aware he had moved, but he was now face to face with Scott, his fists balled into the front of his sweater. Scott’s face reflected the fear Virgil now felt flooding him.

He turned to face the security guard again, but realising his curse had been broken he sent a Banishing Charm at them, sending them both flying up the corridor and they landed heavily, sprawled on the ground several yards away.

“What the hell!” Gordon had come out of the room, attracted by the yells.

The guard raised his wand high. “ _Crucio_!”

The air was full of Gordon’s screams as he collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony from the torture curse. Virgil and Scott both yelled his name as they scrambled to their feet and Kayo was there in a flash, tackling the guard to the floor and stopping the curse.

The two boys collapsed next to Gordon. He was twitching slightly, but showed no other signs of being hurt.

The security guard punched Kayo, snatched up his wand and legged it. They were all running after him now, John and Alan having heard Gordon’s screams. In the stairwell, a curse missed Alan by inches.

“Get him away from here now!” Scott yelled at John.

John nodded. “We’ll go find help.” He grabbed Alan’s wrist and pulled him away.

The good thing about their father’s building was there was no direct route from the top floor -where their father’s personal offices were- to the ground floor. They were at a severe disadvantage without their wands, but they were able to use their superior knowledge of the building to cut him off and herd him away from the fireplaces and the exits from which he would be able to Disapparate.

About ten minutes into this, the Polyjuice Potion had worn off. Virgil saw this and shouted to the others, “It’s The Hood!”

Kayo faltered slightly and barely missed another curse that had been thrown her way. Scott threw a heavy paperweight at his head but The Hood blasted it away. They were all hid behind office desks with The Hood at the other end of the room. He realised there was no way out at his end.

“There really is no need for this,” he told them in a voice as smooth as silk. “Let me go free from this place and I promise that none of you will get hurt.”

“We can’t let you go free, Hood!” yelled Scott.

“Have it your way!” The silky voice turned dangerous as he blasted apart the desk Scott had been hiding behind, though luckily he jumped away just in time. Also luckily, John and Alan had finally found the cavalry. The wizards and witches swarmed the room and managed to stun The Hood, and he was taken away by MACUSA Aurors.

Their father had been shaken by what had happened and scolded them for putting themselves in harms way, before congratulating them for stopping The Hood and being thankful for the fact that none of them had been injured.

Although it now seemed clear to Virgil that some of that hurt and fear still lived in their minds-

 

“I was so scared that one of you guys might get seriously hurt,” said Scott, fiddling with the spine on the book. “But I keep thinking- what if he comes back for revenge? What if he hurts you guys again, or worse? It’s a silly thing to worry about, I know...”

“It’s not silly,” said Virgil, setting a firm hand on Scott's shoulder. “We’re back at school; we have our wands, we can defend ourselves better here. As I said, there are teachers and other students and everybody will be on the lookout for him now. And when summer comes around again, well, we know you want to apply to work at MACUSA, and we know you will look out for us.”

Scott scoffed and finally looked up. “I’ll be applying to the Department of International Relations. I don’t know if I could come running every time you needed rescuing-”

“I’m sure you’d find a way,” and Virgil smirked. “Maybe you could make another rocket and fly back!”

“Shut up! That was one time!” Scott hit Virgil on the arm. “I see your Boggart is still puppets.”

“And being controlled like one,” Virgil recounted grimly. He remembered how he had almost been easily controlled to do The Hood's bidding by the Imperius Curse and he felt sick to his stomach. He feared what he could have done to them had he not thrown the curse off, and Scott definitely wasn't the only one to be plagued with nightmares.

*

The teachers found the bag that Professor Janus had used to contain the Boggart in the dungeon, and he had to answer questions about how he had let it out of his sight. It seemed to be common knowledge that the Boggart had started its rampage in the Thunderbird common room, though the only people who knew how it had got there stayed silent to protect their own. Indeed, the only retribution Gordon was to face was two weeks later when Kayo, finally seizing her chance, fired a Bat-Bogey Hex at him in return for the heart attack he had nearly caused her. He’d been chased around the grounds by large black bats that had sprouted from his own nose for nearly three hours one Sunday afternoon before she finally let him off the hook.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are flakes of gold and comments are droplets of liquid stardust! ;)
> 
> Hope you're enjoying the series *Richard Ayoade impression* if indeed, you are still reading!


End file.
